He Returns
by cforget
Summary: Bella left Forks three years ago, after Edward left her. She has returned home to help her terminally ill father. Bella and Edward have not seen or spoken in 3 yrs, how has life changed for them? Will Edward be able to win his true love back? BXE
1. Chapter 1

"Isabella Swan" the nurse called out. I rushed to get out of my seat, and wipe my eyes so I could see properly. This was it; this is what I have been waiting to find out. I have been sitting in this cold, musty room for several hours, pacing, sitting, and thinking. This is not the way it ends; I am not ready for this to be over.

The nurse walked ahead, and I assumed this meant to follow her, I wanted to scream, I wanted to run, I wanted to jump up and down and ask what was happening! It was the first time in a long time that I was feeling real emotion. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty and it was the first time, in a long time that I just needed him.

Sitting in the cold stark waiting room, the room the nurse delivered me to was… intense? The walls were plain, and the paint was wearing with age, I thought about all the people who sat in this room waiting to find out about their loved ones, all the tragedy, all the joy and happiness that was brought to people over the years in this room.

Charlie. I had gotten a call at 2AM, Charlie was in the hospital. My quiet, loving, caring father had a heart attack and required surgery. There was no time for me to see him prior to going into surgery, and I was told to make it to the hospital as soon as possible. Waiting for information is agony, I need my father, I need to tell him I love him, I need to tell him I am sorry, I need him to forgive me for the stress I caused him. I needed my daddy.

I felt completely alone, Renee and Phil were traveling and I was unable to reach them. However, maybe that was for the best? I am not sure Charlie would want his ex-wife whom he still loved and her husband with him while he was recovering. I was his family, I was his daughter, and this was my duty. I would take care of my father no matter what. He took care of me when Edward left, and it is my turn to repay the favor. It is my turn to be the grownup.

Thinking of Edward sends shivers up my spine, to this day I try not say his name. I actually try hard not to think of any of the Cullen family. They are gone, they didn't want me, and they didn't need me. I am a different person; I am not the shy girl who was hopelessly in love with their broodingly beautiful son. Edward is beautiful, his features are defined. I could get lost in his golden eyes, his disheveled hair that just begged to have my fingers run through it. But he left me three years ago and he is not coming back. And I will live with that pain for the rest of my life, regardless of how hard I try to hide it.

I have not been back to Forks in three years, after I graduated high school I hightailed it out of this town, much to Charlie's displeasure. But how could I stay? The only thing that this town reminded me of was Edward and Alice and the entire Cullen clan. I love Charlie really and truly but Forks only held pain for me. Being in Forks brings back so many memories, stirs up so many old feelings, and makes me feel things I wish would get locked away in my subconscious forever.

But today, today things were different. Charlie needed me, I needed to be here for him, to champion through this with him. This was about my dad, not my previous relationship. Forks may stir up painful memories, but I had to push past them and be here for Charlie. This was about Charlie.

What felt like days later a doctor emerged, he still had his scrubs on and held a large folder, a folder which I assumed held information on my father, I desperately wanted to rip it from his hands and find the answers I needed.

"Isabella Swan?"

"Yes, I am Isabella, I prefer Bella, can you tell me about my father please?"

"Yes Bella, I am Dr. Marlow and I was here when your father was brought in, and operated on him this evening" He held out hand to me and gestured that I sit down. I truly just wanted to know what was going on, I didn't need to be sitting, I just needed answers.

"Bella, I am going to be honest with you the surgery did not go as well as we would have liked. Your father had a massive heart attack and required immediate open heart surgery; he was down quite some time before he was found at his house. He was lucky he was brought in when he was"

Pain, fear and confusion shot through me? Charlie was alone when he had a heart attack, he had to wait until someone found him to get the medical attention he needed. Charlie could still be in our house at Forks, if someone had not stumbled upon him. But who was it? Where are they?

"Bella, we are trying everything we can, however your father suffered a stroke while we were in the midst of the operation and is currently in recovery, but will be transferred to ICU"

"Can I see him? I need to see him"

"He will be in recovery for some time, and he needs to rest, visiting hours are over, I am sorry Bella but you will need to come back tomorrow. Go home, get some rest and we will go over everything with you tomorrow when we have more information"

And with that the Dr. left the room, not giving me the chance to speak. I stayed in the room for a few more moments before collecting my belongings and walking out of the hospital and getting in my car. This was the first time I would be in the house for 3 years. And as concerned as I was for Charlie I was petrified to go back in that house, and feel the rush of emotion I knew would hit as soon as I entered. Once I made it into the car, I turned on my cell phone, I am sure I had missed some calls, and I am sure people were worried, I left so abruptly, I knew my friends were probably shaken by my sudden departure.

As expected, I had 7 missed calls and handful of texts and 5 voice messages, delaying the inevitable of having to go home, I decided now was good a time as any to make the needed calls. The first message was from Angela, my best friend; she had received my message and was devastated. The next message was from Chad; Chad was a nervous wreck and wanted me to call him as soon as possible. Once I heard all of the messages – they were all from Chad; I looked at the time and hit send on my phone.

Chad picked up on the first ring. "Bella. Baby, is that you? Are you alright"?

"Hi Chad, yes it is me, and I am as well as can be expected"

"Did you find anything out about Charlie? Do you need me to come there? I can be there in less that 24hrs, just tell me and I will drop everything"

As sweet as Chad was for offering I needed to do this alone. "No, Chad, thank you for offering, and I really do appreciate it, but I have to take care of this and I will call you as soon as I get more information"

I don't know why I didn't want Chad to come, this was my home and he was my boyfriend. I should want him to come and take care of me, to love me, to make me feel better. But Forks held to many powerful memories, and I just don't think the two would mix well at least not right now. Also, Chad knew nothing about Edward, or any of the Cullen's. All he knew was I had loved deeply and lost deeply.

"Baby, I don't know if it is a good idea, you being there alone. I would feel a lot better if I was with you."

"Chad, I know but it is late and I am tired and drained, and I don't have all the info on Charlie, and I won't get it until tomorrow. I will call you back then and we can discuss it further ok?"

Chad was hesitant, but finally replied "…OK, but I don't like it, and I want you to call me as soon as you have more information Bella. I miss you and I love you"

"I miss you to Chad, Goodnight"

I couldn't tell Chad I loved him, we have been dating almost a year, but I still could not say those three words. He understood, he said he would wait for me. I am not sure why, he could have anybody, I don't understand why he would want someone as emotionally deranged as I. I met Chad at a bar about 18 months ago; Angela and I were celebrating her promotion at work. She was a Marketing manager for a Power Supply company and just got a good raise! We were both living in New York City, and I was working at Random House as a Jr. Editor, as well as finishing up my degree at NYU.

Chad was at the bar with some of his colleagues, and we all just hit it off. We exchanged email addresses and talked throughout the next few weeks. Eventually Angela and I started hanging out with Chad and his friends socially, Angela started dating his best friend Andrew. I was hesitant though, and one night I got intoxicated and told Chad about Edward. Well sort of. I told him I loved a man for 2 years, and that I thought he was my soul mate, but then one day he and his family left.

Chad is a smart man, and he knows there is more to the story, but to this day has never pried for more details. He knows all of this happened in Forks, maybe that's why he wants to come here so much? Chad and I began dating casually and now we have been exclusive for about a year.

Chad is a good man. He is kind, he is loving, and he is honest. Chad deserves my whole heart, not just a piece of it.

Pulling up to my house in Fork was surreal, it looks exactly the same way I left it three years ago. It looked like nothing had changed, when it actuality things were completely different.

Once I opened the door and stepped inside a rush of emotions came back to me so forcefully that I fell to my knees. I remembered everything, everything that had happened, all the reasons that I left in the first place. The house looked exactly as I left in three years ago. There were no changes, the same furniture, the same dishes, the same appliances. There was a chill in the house, just like there always was when I was here before. I always associated this chill to Edward and Alice, their cold bodies made my house cold!

I know that really was not the case, but at the time that was the best I could come up with. I was exhausted and as much as I hated to this to myself, I walked upstairs to my childhood bedroom. I knew going into this room would stir up more emotion then I was ready to handle. However, I was hoping I would be too tired to notice it.

The same theme existed in my bedroom, Charlie never changed a thing, I think even the bedding was the same. I dropped my luggage on the floor and headed to the bathroom to change and clean up. I was hoping to pass out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

When I returned to my bedroom I stood frozen at the foot of my bed. The window was wide open and laying on my bed was one single red rose with a paper draped around simply reading "Bella"

I would recognize that handwriting from anywhere, I was in shock, and the only thing I could think to do was run to my window, slam it shut and lock it. I was not ready to deal with him.

A/N: So what d you think? I have the whole story outlined, I know this is short, the rest of the chapters are much longer. I just wanted some feedback to see if I should continue or not? Also I need a BETA, anyone interested? Thanks so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the alerts and reviews, I really appreciate. I forgot to mention in the first chapter. I do not own the characters; they belong to the talented Stephanie Meyer. I just like to play with them!

I threw the note and the rose on my desk, I would deal with it another time, another place. I got under the blankets and covered my face. I have always had a hard time sleeping. I don't like to sleep alone, I don't like total darkness, and I don't like feeling like someone has been in my house. I kept chanting to myself:

"No one is in here, no one is in here, that flower could have been left anytime, go to sleep, go to sleep"

Of course the flower could not have been left too long ago, as it was very much alive. The chanting continued, I would either go to sleep or drive myself crazy trying to.

"_No Edward don't go, please don't go. I don't know how to live without you, I can't live without you. Please Edward, Please stay. Please love me, please love me"_

_Edward looked so distant, so far away, but he was standing only inches from me. I longed to reach out to him, to stroke his cheek, to grab his hand but he looked so cold, so mean, he looked like a vampire. _

"_Bella, I have to go you know this. I am no good for you; you need to lead a happy human life. Remaining in your life is wrong, and it is dangerous."_

"_I don't care Edward, I don't care. All I need is you, you are all I want. I can't breathe when you are away from me" _

_I struggled to make my limbs move, I needed to feel him. I hesitantly reached for him and he backed away, causing a whoosh of air to go through me. He didn't want me to touch him? I repulsed him that much? I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, it was all happening to fast._

"_Isabella, please be reasonable. You are human; you will move on without me, it is what humans do. You will be fine, you will forget I ever existed; you will live a happy human life. You will graduate high school, marry a man and have lots of babies. Like you are supposed to."_

_Like I am supposed to? No, no, no I am supposed to be with Edward. _

"_No Edward, you are wrong. You are who I am supposed to be with, don't you love me Edward? How can you just leave me? What did I do wrong?"_

_He was still showing no emotion, just staring at me like I was the most uninteresting creature he had ever laid eyes on. My heart broke more and more. _

"_Isabella, we are leaving, all of us. I loved you, but you are not good for me Bella. I need to move on; you do not fit into my life, into my family's life. We have spent far too much time here already. I will remember you, but we move on quickly."_

_There leaving? All of them? My best friend Alice? My teddy bear big brother Emmett? Sweet, Sweet caring, loving Esme? They are leaving me? I don't fit? I slumped down, I was done. The emotions were taking over. My life as I knew it was ending._

"_I don't understand Edward. You are all leaving? When? Will I see them? Please, I don't understand"_

_I couldn't breathe, I felt like at any minute my heart was going to pound right out of my chest and land on the cold grass._

"_They already left, I am the last one here, I am here to say goodbye"_

"_NO Edward"_

"_Yes, Isabella. Be happy. "_

"_No Edward, wait Edward, Please!!"_

I woke up screaming, covered in sweat, my cell phone alarm screaming at me to shut it off. I have had that dream to many times to count. I always wake up in the same fashion – screaming.

However, today was not about Edward. Today was about Charlie. And as much as my emotions were getting to me, I would push them to the back, just as I have done for these past three years.

He does not love you, he never did. He left you and took his family with him. He told you to be happy and to move and have lots of babies. I am sure he is happy, and in love and dating some gorgeous vampire supermodel and laughing about the mousey girl from Forks.

_I moved on. I have a life, a good life. I have a man that loves me for me, that loves all my insecurities, just as much as he loves my quirks. Chad. Chad is my boyfriend. I have Chad._

I need to stop having conversations with myself to prove that Chad is the one. Chad is the one, Edward is gone. Even if he comes back, I am no longer available to him. Even if he did come back, I am sure it was only because of Charlie. Charlie and Alice were quite attached at one time, and I am sure she saw this and felt the need to check up on the situation. I am sure I have heard the last from them.

After giving myself a quick pep talk, I went into the bathroom to get dressed. I needed to get to the hospital. I needed to find out all the information I could on Charlie. After eating a quick breakfast, I headed out to my car, and drove to Forks general hospital.

I had been to Forks hospital many times over the years, the ER doctors knew be my name, I am almost positive I have my own filing cabinet. That is what you get when you are the world's biggest klutz. Today was different though, this was not about me, Charlie was sick. Every time I thought about my dad, and how I just up and left him and moved 2000 miles away, a pit would grow in my stomach and I wanted to vomit.

I abandoned by my father over a man, I could not deal with all my emotions so I ran away and never looked back. I was an awful daughter. I deserved to be in that hospital bed, not Charlie. All Charlie wanted was for me to be happy. Once Edward left he tried so hard to make me happy. He hated Edward for leaving. He hated that I was closing myself off. Once Edward left, he tried to hook me up with his best friend's son Jacob. He tried to push us together so many times, it was silly. Jacob was 2 years younger than I, and he could never capture my heart the way Edward had. There was no way to get over Edward and the Cullen family while living in Washington. I had to escape; I had to get out of there to save myself from the mental breakdown that was going to occur. In my escaping, I abandoned my father.

Stepping out of the car I rushed into the hospital, past the reception area and made my way to ICU. I called the ICU nurses station to be let in the ward. Once I was let in a tall, slender woman showed me to my dad's room. I stood outside, trying to catch my breath, check my emotions. I was not sure what I would see, but I knew I had to be strong, I would be strong.

Entering the room, I saw a man who looked 20LBS thinner than Charlie, who looked paler than normal, had dark circles under his eyes, bruising on his cheek. Charlie had a heart attack, he was not beat up, or in accident, why the bruising? Why the skin dis-colorization. My heart was breaking, what happened to my father? I took the seat located next to Charlie's bed and held his hand. He had IV's and tubes everywhere, and I had to be very careful not to disturb anything he was hooked up to. Great another thing to worry about!

About an hour or so later Dr. Marlow emerged.

"Bella, I hope you got rest last night"

"Good Morning Dr. And yes, I got as much rest as can be expected. Can you give me any more information about Charlie?" He looked at me with sad eyes I knew whatever he was going to say was not going to be good.

"Well, he made it through the night, but he is not out of the woods, far from it unfortunately. Bella your father is very sick and s going to require quite a lot of care"

Very sick? He had a heart attack, but he will get better, he has to get better. Once he recovers, we will put him on a new diet, monitor is fat intake, of course he will get better.

"I am sorry Dr. very sick? What kind of care?"

"After further review of your father's case and working with a colleague, your father suffers from dilated Cardiomyopathy. This disease causes the heart cavity to become enlarged and stretched"

What? I don't understand? I thought he had a heart attack?

"I don't understand, can you break it down in non-doctor terminology?"

"Bella, I think it would be better if I brought in our cardiothoracic attending physician, he will be able to give you more details, and help you better understand your father prognosis. He should be in shortly, I apologize I cannot be of more assistance, I think it is better if we wait for the specialist."

Waiting.. You want me to wait more? All I have done is wait. I want answers!

"When will he be here, how long will I have to wait? There is family and friends waiting for this information"

"Dr. Cullen should be here shortly Bella, we will return to the room then"

What? I must have misheard him. Dr. Cullen? Dr. Carlisle Cullen? No, they left Forks, they are not here. Of course there is more than one family with the name Cullen. Cullen is a popular name, plenty of Doctors with that name, I am sure. I could feel myself in full panic mode, my palms were getting sweaty, my heart rate was picking up, I could hear beeping distantly, then there was black.

_I was drifting, floating. I was happy in a bubble. _

"Bella. Bella, can you hear me? She is coming to, just give her a moment"

That voice was familiar; I did not want to hear that voice, I squeezed my eyelids tighter wishing it all to go away. This was all a dream; I was in NY at work. That's it I am lost in a book, I am not in Forks.

"Bella, Bella. Wake up Bella, open your eyes"

That's when I felt it, a cold hand on my cheek. Not the cold where someone was just outside, no this was ice cold, frigid. This was a vampire touching my cheek, this was Dr. Carlisle Cullen. As soon as that realization hit me, I bolted upright, and out of his grasp.

"Bella, slow down we don't want you to hurt yourself"

He let out a little chuckle, I was beyond annoyed. Why does everyone hate me? I swayed a bit and made it to my feet, and crossed the room to sit with Charlie once again. I was perplexed by the situation and had no idea what I should be doing.

Was I happy to see Carlisle? Yes and no, I missed the Cullen's greatly, but I was not a part of them any longer, and this would only cause pain. If Carlisle is working here, they must be living here again. Why had Charlie not told me this? Oh, that's right because I abandoned him, and if he ever wanted his daughter home again, he knew telling me that information would make me run the other direction forever.

_Pull yourself together Bella, this about Charlie not the Cullen's. About Charlie, think Charlie. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie_

"Dr. Cullen, can you please provide me the details of my father? I am anxious to hear his prognosis, he has friends and family waiting for this information, and I would like to provide them some ease"

I tried to be strong, to look him right in the eye. This was about Charlie.

"Bella, I am sorry if this situation makes you uncomfortable, I only am here to help. My family has always been fond of Charlie and you…."

_Excuse me? Fond of me? That's why you took off without a goodbye? Fond of me? _

I interrupted him quickly, not wanting or needing him to finish his thought, it would only cause more pain and confusion.

"Dr. Cullen if you.."

"Bella, call me Carlisle"

This conversation was getting us nowhere.

"Fine, Carlisle, I only care to know of my father's prognosis, I do not care to delve into the past with you. The past is just that the past. As I have mentioned for the last 24HRS, there are a lot of people invested in Charlie and are all wanting information in regards to his prognosis. Dr. Marlow mentioned a heart disease but would not go into any specifics. I would appreciate as much information as you can provide so I can decide what is in my father's best interest. If you could please provide that?"

I am strong. I am only here for Charlie. Once the information is provided I will determine a plan of action. The Cullen's will not take pity on me or my father. There are other doctors available, I do not want to be pitied, or helped out of obligation.

"Yes, Bella where would you like me to begin?"

AN: So what do you think? As I mentioned before, I really need a BETA, not sure how to go about getting one I have an outline out about 25 chapters or so, and would love your input. Thank you for taking the time to review.


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